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Wikipedia says it has found the 'sound of all human knowledge' with new audio logo
The free online Encyclopedia has found its 'ta-dum.'
Wikipedia editors vote to block cryptocurrency donations
The editors voted in favor of a proposal to drop crypto donations.
Wikipedia banned seven users after reported 'infiltration' by a Chinese group
Wikipedia suffered an "infiltration" from a Chinese group that "threatened the very foundations" of the site.
Wikipedia comes back online in Turkey after multi-year ban
Access to Wikipedia in Turkey has been restored after a nearly three-year ban, which saw the site blocked after it refused to remove content tying the country to terrorist groups. The ban, which was imposed by Turkey in April 2017, came about after it concluded that Wikipedia was running a "smear campaign" against the government. It subsequently leveraged a law that permits the banning of any website deemed a national security threat.
Internet pioneers join forces to block the sale of .org domain
Internet Society's decision to sell control of the .org domain to Ethos Capital didn't sit well with nonprofits and even Congress. Now, a group of internet pioneers has joined forces in an effort to block the deal and to offer an alternative owner for the domain. They formed a new nonprofit entity called the Cooperative Corporation of .ORG Registrants and had already filed incorporation papers in California, according to The New York Times.
Wikipedia wins its battle against censorship in Turkey
Two years ago, Turkey banned Wikipedia after the site refused to remove content tying the country to terrorist groups. That decision was reversed today in the nation's highest court, which called the ruling a violation of freedom of expression, and ordered the site to be unblocked. The timeframe isn't clear, but it's likely that Turkish citizens will soon be able to access the community-powered encyclopedia.
Google Translate will help Wikipedia fill its non-English websites
Google is helping the Wikimedia Foundation achieve its goal of making Wikipedia articles available in a lot more languages. The Foundation has added Google Translate to its content translation tool, which human editors can use to add content to non-English Wikipedia websites. Those editors can take advantage of the new option -- "one of the most advanced machine translation systems available today," the foundation called it -- to generate an initial translation that they can then review and edit for readability in their language.
Wikipedia ends no-cost mobile access for developing countries
The Wikimedia Foundation launched Wikipedia Zero in 2012 with the hopes of democratizing information through a simple concept: cellular carriers in developing countries would offer access to its crowdsourced knowledge without charging data fees. However, it appears to have run its course. The organization has discontinued Zero with plans to phase it out through 2018. Wikimedia has stopped forming new carrier partnerships, and will let its existing alliances end over time. There has been a "significant drop off" in involvement since 2016, Wikimedia said, and that participation is necessary to keep Zero alive.
A security expert built an unofficial Wikipedia for the dark web
Wikipedia is a nigh-essential source of information, but it's usually so accessible in Western countries that users forget when it isn't. Take Turkey, which blocked its citizens from accessing the site in April and rejected an appeal when the Wikimedia Foundation refused to play ball with the government, part of its wider effort to silence online dissent. For citizens in similar countries that crack down on users accessing the free online encyclopedia, there's a new version those governments hopefully can't track -- which operates on the dark web, naturally.
Anti-sex trafficking law could unintentionally cripple Wikipedia
After historically opposing changes to the Communications Decency Act's Section 230, web giants came out in favor of a proposed amendment to the law, which would punish a website for knowingly facilitating sexual exploitation. But, unlike the Internet Association (which includes Amazon, Google, and Facebook), Wikipedia stands opposed to the provision. Mainly, it's worried about the negative impact the broad-brush legislation may have on the little guy. In a Medium post, the Wikemedia Foundation's legal fellow Leighanna Mixter claims the the Stop Enabling Sex Traffickers Act (SESTA) could threaten its entire existence -- which may be overstressing it.
Afghanistan will soon have free mobile access to Wikipedia
Afghanistan has been rapidly improving its technological infrastructure since the Taliban was ousted in 2001. A group of film historians in the country recently digitized films that had been saved from destruction during Taliban rule. An all-girl robotics team fought a recent travel ban and finally got the chance to compete in the US. And in 2010, the country moved ahead with plans for national electronic ID cards. Now, thanks to a partnership between regional provider Roshan and the Wikimedia Foundation, people in Afghanistan will get free access to Wikipedia via their phones for the next year.
Wikimedia is clear to sue the NSA
A federal appeals court has ruled the Wikimedia Foundation does have grounds to sue the National Security Agency over its use of warrantless surveillance tools. A district judge shot down Wikimedia's case in 2015, saying the group hadn't proved the NSA was actually illegally spying on its communications. In this case, proof was a tall order, considering information about the targeted surveillance system, Upstream, remains classified.
Turkey blocks Wikipedia over an alleged 'smear campaign'
Turkey may have just stepped up its efforts to quash online free speech. The country has blocked Wikipedia for supposedly running a "smear campaign" by allowing articles claiming that the Turkish government was coordinating with militant groups. The government says it will lift the restrictions if Wikipedia complies, but that isn't likely to happen unless there's proof the collaboration claims aren't true. Jimmy Wales and the Wikimedia Foundation are determined to protect truth in reporting, and that means posting articles that be less than flattering to politicians.
Wikipedia co-founder launches Wikitribune to fight fake news
Wikipedia co-founder Jimmy Wales hopes to tackle fake news with a journalism outfit of his own. Wikitribune will be free to access and use crowdfunding to hire experienced reporters. They'll work alongside volunteers who can sub-edit articles, fact-check stories and suggest new topics for the site to pursue. "This will be the first time that professional and citizen journalists will work side-by-side as equals writing stories as they happen, editing them as they develop, and at all times backed by a community checking and rechecking all of the facts," Wales said.
Wikipedia's AI can automatically spot bad edits
Wikipedia has a new artificial intelligence service, and it could make the website a lot friendlier to newbie contributors. The AI, called Objective Revision Evaluation Service (ORES), will scour newly submitted revisions to spot any additions that look potentially spammy or trollish. Its creator, the Wikimedia Foundation, says it "functions like a pair of X-ray specs" (hence the image above) since it highlights anything that seems suspicious; it then sets that particular article aside for human editors to look at more closely. If the Wiki staff decides to pull a revision down, the contributor will get notified -- that's a lot better than the website's current practice of deleting submissions without any explanation.
Judge dismisses Wikimedia case against NSA as 'hypothetical'
Remember that lawsuit the Wikimedia Foundation filed against the NSA earlier this year? It's not moving forward: The district judge presiding over the case has dismissed the lawsuit because the plaintiffs' allegations are based on "suppositions and speculation with no basis in fact." Specifically, District Judge TS Ellis III takes issue with Wikimedia's description of how the NSA's Upstream surveillance program works, which speculates on how the program "must" operate to satisfy the government's "stated goals," but provides no factual data to verify said claims.
Wikipedia's secure pages stop others from tracking your fact finding
You may not think that the security of your Wikipedia research is a big deal, but it can be. You don't want spies to misinterpret your searches for potassium nitrate and the Gunpowder Plot as evidence of a terrorist conspiracy, after all. Appropriately, the Wikimedia Foundation is starting to encrypt all web traffic on Wikipedia and other associated websites through HTTPS, making it decidedly harder to monitor your knowledge hunts. The initiative should also make it at least a bit tougher for censorship-happy governments to block inconvenient facts. Encryption isn't new on the organization's sites (you've had a manual HTTPS option since 2011), but this always-on policy means that you never have to think about it -- you can assume that there's a basic level of privacy.
Wikimedia is suing the NSA over its mass surveillance program
The Wikimedia Foundation is suing the US National Security Agency (NSA) for breaching Wikipedia users' privacy with mass surveillance techniques. It said that the aim of the suit is to "end (the NSA) mass surveillance program in order to protect the rights of our users around the world." The group maintains that the agency overstepped the limits set by the authority of the 2008 Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FAA) amendments. It'll file the complaint in conjunction with eight other organizations -- including Amnesty International USA, Human Rights Watch and the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers -- and will be represented by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU).
German court says Wikimedia is liable for article contents after they're published (updated)
The Wikimedia Foundation positions Wikipedia as a hub for unfettered knowledge, but it's now obligated to police that content in the wake of a newly published German ruling. Stuttgart's Higher Regional Court has determined that the organization is liable for Wikipedia articles. While Wikimedia won't have to screen content, it will have to verify any disputed passages and remove them if they're known to be false. The court isn't telling Wikimedia how to handle this verification, although the legal presumption of innocence will still apply. We're not expecting a chilling effect on Wikipedia given that takedowns will only be necessary in a handful of circumstances. However, it gives Wikimedia's moderators an extra level of responsibility -- they'll now have to pull some content quickly to minimize the chances of lawsuits. Updated: Wikimedia has clarified the ruling. The court sees Wikimedia as a service provider that, on a basic level, isn't liable for content. However, the site will only maintain its immunity so long as it pulls any content that allegedly violates German laws. If it declines, it risks opening itself to legal action.
Wikipedia accuses PR firm of posting biased entries for cash
Wikipedia has sent a cease-and-desist letter to Texas publicity firm Wiki-PR over its alleged practice of "sockpuppeting," or posting articles for pay that make its clients look good. The open-source encyclopedia launched an investigation last month into the practice, which is a strong violation of its terms of service. That revealed over 300 phoney accounts stemming from the PR outfit, which it allegedly used to create articles for its clients that appear to be from unbiased sources. Wikipedia lawyers also accused Wiki-PR of "meatpuppetry," or using false identities to advocate certain positions in its user discussion forums. The site has closed all the fake accounts, saying the practice harms its reputation, abuses the labor of volunteers and can actually hurt the reputation of Wiki-PR's client firms -- if they're exposed by the press. Meanwhile, Wiki-PR told The Independent that "it's working with the Wikimedia foundation and its counsel to sort this out." Judging by its name alone, though, it might have to throw out its entire business model to do that.
